Those bond ratings are the government equivalent of a credit score. A downgrade means the county’s existing bonds for SPLOST have lower resale value for investors, future bonds and bank loans will be harder to get or sell, and any bonds or loans taken out in the future will cost the county more money due to higher interest rates.

How did Walker County get to this point? Economic stagnation, over-dependence on manufacturing jobs, and a pattern of poor financial decisions from Commissioner Heiskell.

The primary risk cited by both S&P and Moody’s are Hutcheson debts guaranteed by Walker County. The hospital is equally owned by Dade, Walker, and Catoosa but a majority of its debts are tied to Walker County since Heiskell continued to support Hutcheson after Catoosa and Dade leaders refused to get involved. Hutcheson’s debts now exceed $70 million, far beyond what the hospital’s assets (and county ownership of them) are worth.

The S&P downgrade also cited three sets of debts that have to be paid down by the end of this year, including the 2008 SPLOST bonds and a recent short-term loan. The amount of debt the county carries vs. its income means refinancing any unpaid bonds or loans will be much more expensive than current interest payments.

Walker County’s heavy debt load has been cited by LU countless times in the last few years, and was pointed out by Dr. Paul Shaw during his 2012 campaign to replace Commissioner Heiskell. Heiskell dismissed his concerns saying the county was practically debt-free. Obviously that isn’t the case now, and wasn’t the case then either. Now that stack of debt has come back to bite the county (and its residents) in the butt.

Another reason for cutting the county’s credit rating is the practice of spending reserve money for years instead of raising taxes in small amounts incrementally (or cutting expenses). Heiskell last raised taxes in 2010, but held off on an increase in 2011, 2012, and 2013.

If she had touched the property tax milage rate in 2012 someone else would be Commissioner today, and if she had tweaked it a year ago her SPLOST renewal plea (based on not raising taxes) would have fallen flat with voters. Her political savvy has produced a financial mess that will end up costing taxpayers more than adjusting tax rates all along would have.

County management told S&P analysts problems will be fixed through a planned tax increase and “cost-cutting measures” predicted to bring about a budget surplus for 2015. That tax increase will be a reality this December, but there’s absolutely no sign of any cost cutting – at least not where it matters most.

Unaudited financial data from the county shows at least $2,000 a week spent just on payroll at Mountain Cove Farms all through 2013, a rate not expected to drop this year as the county expands that site and prepares to host a county fair there this fall. (Peak weekly payroll exceeded $6,500 during the Civil War reenactment in September. That’s a lot of property tax revenue.)

County government also spent hundreds of thousands it didn’t have at that property for pavement, furniture, appliances, paint, environmental damage fines, and new buildings. Heiskell has, however, cut employees and costs in the road barn and at Walker Transit – services that actually benefit citizens and should be funded but aren’t, in order to keep throwing money at this pet project.

Heiskell’s management of, and obsession with, Mountain Cove Farms is the governmental equivalent of a hillbilly father buying a flatscreen TV and new iPhone while his house falls in and his kids go to school without shoes. That irresponsibility is reflected in this loss of credit.

Last year Heiskell didn’t set a 2013 budget until the fiscal year was almost finished, and she’s done the same thing in 2014 – as of May 12th the county hasn’t formally adopted a budget for the financial year that ends on September 30th. That violates an unenforced state law, and is also given as another reason for downgrading the county’s credit – and it’s the one that would be easiest for Heiskell to fix if she truly wanted to.

When announcing her plan to raise property taxes a month ago, Heiskell mentioned budgets – which means she has SOMETHING written down to run the county from, even if a budget was never formally adopted. She could make that unofficial budget official in thirty seconds with the stroke of a pen, but won’t do so because that would restrict her from tweaking numbers as the year goes along.

Waiting until August to lock in a final budget for the October-September year allows Heiskell to pick figures that match her wild spending instead of responsibly matching her spending to a pre-set budget based on reality.

So what does this mean for Walker County and the 68,000+ people who live here?

For starters, it means any future bonds for SPLOST or other projects will deliver less bang for the buck. Higher interest means a greater portion of tax revenue will go to pay back debt than to building, construction, or repair. Future stopgap loans from banks to handle emergencies or fill revenue shortfalls will also cost more.

When, and if, adults take over leadership at Hutcheson, any refinance or restructuring deals there will cost more, if they can be obtained at all, because of the county’s worsening financial position and credit rating. Gone are the days of Walker County propping up the hospital simply by signing on the bottom line.

Economic development projects, like the 2012 bond deal supporting Phillips Bro. Machine, will also be more expensive for the county and involved businesses. Companies considering Walker County will have more reasons to choose another location, in light of higher loan/bond costs.

Because of the downgrade, Walker County will be much more difficult to manage in future years, regardless of who sits in the driver’s seat. Heiskell isn’t likely to be reelected in 2016 (assuming she even chooses to run again), but whoever supplants her will be disadvantaged from day one because of this situation. A little present from the current Commissioner to whoever dares take her place.

Worst case scenario, if Walker County continues in the current direction with the current leader using her normal management style, another downgrade to “junk” status would result in the county entering financial meltdown, unable to refinance debt, issue bonds, obtain loans, or even meet regular expenses without a massive tax increase.

In response to the downgrade, Walker County asked Standard & Poors to stop rating the county’s bonds. S&P complied with the request, withdrawing the BBB+ rating.

This doesn’t mean the rating was incorrect or based on anything inaccurate, it just means county bonds are no longer rated by the S&P. As one commenter said, it’s like quitting school because you don’t like the teacher. Or taking your ball and going home because you don’t like the rules.

Without S&P input, Walker County’s bonds are now only rated by Moody’s, which has (as noted above) already given a warning of possible downgrades for the same reason S&P did. If Moody’s is also asked to withdraw, future county bonds won’t be rated at all, making them a hard sell for investors reliant on those ratings to decide what to buy.

Asking S&P to withdraw its rating also shows the county isn’t serious about fixing what’s broken, because there won’t be a ratings upgrade if promised changes ever make an improvement.

5 comments so far

Exactly what I have been telling people. We are in trouble. Even if millage rate is raised now, because of the near “junk bond”status property values will go down because no one will want to buy here. Current property holders will be left holding the bag

Steve said: 2014.08.25 19:00

Who is heading up the petition to oust her?

Carol said: 2014.09.06 11:15

Why can’t she be investigated for misuse of taxpayers money. Somebody from outside,
like wastewatchers. read story about Sandy Spring Georgia, the city that outsourced everthing, could that work for walker county

kw said: 2014.09.07 09:25

this tax hike will be very small compared to what is coming that 120.00 increase on a home of 100,000 value the cost in the next year or two will grow to 520.00 per household if the county was a business it would be bankrupt and out of business the tax increase want go to the tag office sheriff office tax department it will be wasted

E. Nance said: 2015.09.25 07:28

The US as well as Walker County GA seems to be going down the drain about as fast as anything can go. The management of this county by the “Sole Commisioner” is about as good as the Iran Agreement that some of the reps in the House and Senate seem so carried away with. “Death to America” (with an atomic bomb) that Iran keeps chanting is certainly the goal of this roughish country. Bebe’s management of this county is on the same track i.e,her goal seems to be for this county to bankrupt. Wake up folks we need more than one commissioner so we can more than one voice managing the county. I am shocked to see that Steve Tarvin, the guy who ran for office as being an experienced “business manager” has become one of her supporters Shame on him.

Why can’t somebody demand an audit of that office?
Many of the citizens did not know about the meeting re the legality of borrowing money to pay off another loan that was due which the Judge ruled was legal. If the county commissioner’s office was run as a business or owner of a home, bankruptsy would have occurred long ago.